Illuminated track diagram



Sept, 22, 1931. J, MERKEL 1,824,164

ILLUMINATED TRACK DIAGRAM Filed March 18. 1929 BYy $24666 WMM b ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH F. MERKEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK ILLUMINATED TRACK DIAGRAM Application filed latch 18, 1929. Serial No. 348,026.

This invention relates to interlocking plants for railroads and more particularly to an illuminated track diagram for giving visual indication of the position of the trains within the territory over which a particular plant ma have control.

In an interloc ing plant, it is necessary that the operator should have accurate information regarding the position of all trains within his territory. In order to do this, a diagram of the track layout over which he has control is usually mounted before him with some means of indicating on the diagram the position of the trains which have entered that particular territory. Such a diagram should be easily read at a distance of several feet, as well as giving recognizable indication of the position of the trains automatically. The diagram panel upon which the indicating means is mounted, must be of an insulating material, as well as being a rigid support.

Illuminated track diagrams, with which I am familiar, have formerly been made either by pasting blue prints to an insulated back ground, or by painting the track layout upon a wood back-ground. In either case, the diagram becomes dull and smeared by repeated cleaning of the surface, which is necessitated by the accumulation of dust and dirt upon the face of the panel, while during the summer season an added source of trouble is given by the bugs which are attracted by the indicating lamps. Furthermore, if some transparent covering be used for the protection of the prints or painting, it too, is soon worn off or chemically dissolved by the cleaning fluids used.

With the above and other considerations in mind, it is proposed in accordance with this invention, to provide an illuminated track diagram with a panel which serves the two-fold purpose of providing a clearly visible diagram which has a transparent surface covering, which is impervious to ordinary chemical solutions, and which provides a rigid insulating panel upon which the electrical indicating means may be mounted.

One object of this invention is to provide an illuminated trackdiagram which will meet with the above mentioned requirements and others, as will be inpart apparent and in part pointed out as the descrlption of one particular embodiment of the invention progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which I 1 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an illuminated track diagram, showing the panel with the diagram super-imposed, the indicating lenses, and the outside frame work;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of Fig. 1 taken on the line 22, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing in detail the construction of the illuminating indicators and the mounting frame work;

Fig. 3 is a detailed cross section of the construction of the diagram panel.

Referring now to the drawings, in one specific form of an illuminated track diagram shown in Fig. 1, sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of wood or the like form he moulding or border and support for the diagram panel 5, said panel 5 being attached to this moulding 7 by screws 6.

An indicating lens 7 with its metal shell 7 a is located at the center of the track section 8, which is a typical illustration of the other indicating lenses and their respective track sections. The extent of these track sections is shown to be terminated at the points where their continuity ceases, such as, for example, at points 9, 10, and 11. Symbol 12 is located at the entrance to a turn-out switch and represents the normal position of that switch which is typical of the other switches. When the indicating lens at the center of the arrow symbol 14, displays an indication, it represents the fact that the direction of trafiic is north, on the right hand, north and south bound track.

Fig. 2 shows a detailed cross-section of the indicating means which comprises the indicating lens 7, the metal receptacle shell 15, the lamp socket 16, the spring 17, and the incandescent bulb 18 in the socket 16. The metal shell 15, has ventilating holes to eliminate the possibility of the bulb getting ex,- cessively hot. The diagram panel 5 and 100 5 nary acids, heat resisting,

I iron members 24. The wires 25 and 26 are shown extending from the lamp receptacle 16 to the terminal block 27, and thence through a conduit coupling 28 to their-respective controlmeans.

Fig. 3 shows in detail phenol formaldehyde condensation products, commonly called bakelite; This panel 5 is to be made up of paper laminae 29. ofa suffrcient number 'to maketthe panel of therequired thickness. The top lamina 37 is a Van Dyke print, a photostatic print, or. any

other type ofprintor drawing 'showing'thetrack layout. diagrammatically,. with the diagram on the outside. The stacking of paper lamlnae 29 is thenmade into a rigid panel by subjecting it tothe above mentioned process which maybe briefly described below.

The paper laminw are subjected to a vacuum, which extracts all the moisture, after whichthe stacklof laminm is then impregnated under pressure with a phenol formalde hyde resin, which is in the stage A, and due to the fact that the resin at this time is at a high pressure, the paper laminae are impregnated and the spaces between the laminaefare filled with the resinous compound, after which the laminae are pressed together under high pressure. The panel isthen subjected to a particular temperature which transforms the resinous phenol formaldehyde compound to the stage C, ,in which state it is then in fusible, insoluble in boiling water and ordiand an electrical insulator of high quality.

\Vhat I claim is zi i 1. An illuminated track diagram for raildrawing being covered with a thin layer of bakelite,lamp indicators supported by, and to v V y r V therea-r of, said panel and insulated thereby, a cross section of the diagram panel, which is subjected to the well 7 known process used in making other resinous and apertures in the pa-nel in front of the indicators.

2 Anilluminated track diagram for railway signaling systems comprising an opaque panel formed of paper laminae impregnated with, a phenol compound, the outer lamina having a drawing of "the track layout thereon,

said drawing being covered with a thinlaye-r drawing bein covered "with a thin layer of bah elite, lamp indicators supported by, and to therear of, S2115], panel-and insulated thereby,

and apertures in the panel in front of them dic'ators, said lamp indicators comprising metal shells, and cushioning springs in "the shells for mounting light sources therein;

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature,

JOSEPH F. MERKEL.

Afterthe panel has'been carried through theabove outlined process a thin covering 38, of'the bakelite is'left on the outside ofthe panel, which forms what might, be called a perfect protection to the track diagram, which is the top lamina,while the whole panel 7 forms a perfect electrical insulating material and a rigid support for the indicators. Such a panel is practically indestructible under ordinary conditions and will withstand all cleaning fluids and acid fumes from batterles which may bestored in the interlocking tower. The bakelite covering, although hav ng a p brownish tinge of the resin, shows the outlines of the diagram very distinctly,

Having thus shown and described one spe- :cificembodimentof the present invention in are 

